Setting up a 120G...New to sumps...

[BDL11]

I plan on ordering a 120 gallon aquarium (48x24x25) from glass cages soon and a sump along with it. However, this is the first time that I am going to have a tank this big and ive never had a sump before. What kind of media (specific examples not just "biomedia") should i put in the sump? also what size water pump (GPH) do i need for the return? I am not sure on the diameter of the holes they drill for the overflow, and I know that is a factor, so I apologize. Also can I keep my heaters in the sump?
Thank you for the help, if there is any other words of wisdom you can give me I would really appreciate it.

 

[raj914]

First of all how many chambers does your sump have? On the first chamber (catch) you can put in filter wools/ japanese mat for mechanical filtration this is to catch all the waste for the second chamber you can use K1 or K3 moving bed filter media with airstone at the bottom. 3rd chamber you can use bacteria house and the final chamber for the return pump. You can use rio 12HF for your return or any other pump that you prefer because I am not familiar with the types of pumps that is available there. HTH!

 

[Ian21777]

I plan on ordering a 120 gallon aquarium (48x24x25) from glass cages soon and a sump along with it. However, this is the first time that I am going to have a tank this big and ive never had a sump before. What kind of media (specific examples not just "biomedia") should i put in the sump? also what size water pump (GPH) do i need for the return? I am not sure on the diameter of the holes they drill for the overflow, and I know that is a factor, so I apologize. Also can I keep my heaters in the sump?
Thank you for the help, if there is any other words of wisdom you can give me I would really appreciate it.

Id recommend filter socks for the first stage of filtration. Easy to use/change/clean and you can get them at a grade yo suit your requirements. Seachem matrix/pond matrix is a good bio media. I use alpha-grog in mine, but depends on availability where you are. If you want a cheaper option buy a ton of pot scrubbies. Moving bed is definitely an option, but aftermarket versions of k1/3 are available and cheaper. Heaters can certainly go in your sump. As to pump size, look for 5-10 times tank turnover per hour. But like you said without knowing drain size its hard to give an answer.

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[x HEAVYHITTER x]

I would go with filter socks and shoot for 10x turnover after head pressure. I'm currently setting up a new sump and am going with pond matrix. I hear good things about it and it is reasonabley priced Moving bed is definitely an option it will just require a large air pump. Like others have mentioned it will be hard to find the appropriate pump without knowing drain size though.

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[David R]

10x is overkill IMO, to the point where unless you have a massive sump the water is going to be moving too fast through the sump. (10x turn over through 120g = over 30x turn over through a 40g sump, depending on how full it is).

OP, there is a lot you can do with a sump, in it's most basic form you could have a couple of filter socks suspended above the sump and bags of submerged media like matrix or ceramic rings sitting in there, no baffles or anything. But there are limitless other options for things like K1 moving media, tall bio towers, refugium, plants, whatever. Before anyone can tell you what sort of media to use you need to have a plan for what the sump will look like. Have a read through some of the many threads here and in the DIY Filters forums and your mind will soon be overflowing with ideas.
I'd recommend a Laguna pump, and the intended turn-over will depend partly on how heavily you plan to stock the tank, and partly how you design the sump.

 

[Curtis Rouse]

10x is overkill IMO, to the point where unless you have a massive sump the water is going to be moving too fast through the sump. (10x turn over through 120g = over 30x turn over through a 40g sump, depending on how full it is).

OP, there is a lot you can do with a sump, in it's most basic form you could have a couple of filter socks suspended above the sump and bags of submerged media like matrix or ceramic rings sitting in there, no baffles or anything. But there are limitless other options for things like K1 moving media, tall bio towers, refugium, plants, whatever. Before anyone can tell you what sort of media to use you need to have a plan for what the sump will look like. Have a read through some of the many threads here and in the DIY Filters forums and your mind will soon be overflowing with ideas.
I'd recommend a Laguna pump, and the intended turn-over will depend partly on how heavily you plan to stock the tank, and partly how you design the sump.

+1
Best advice so far in this thread.

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[BDL11]

Thanks guys, i really appreciate it